If you think about South Indian cuisine, then a picture of an array of South Indian specialities served on a banana leaf comes to your mind. The most authentic way of eating South Indian spreads is to keep everything on a banana leaf and eat it together with your family. Banana leaf is a very important part of the South Indian tradition and is considered quite sacred. This is the reason why the paste of Banana leaves is also offered to deities in many parts of the country. Thick and big banana leaves are used to serve food in South Indian cuisine. These are directly taken from banana trees and look very beautiful. The outer appearance of South Indian Food is automatically enhanced when it is served on fresh banana leaves. Also, food when served on banana leaves becomes enriched with a lot of other nutrients and vitamins. Let's have a look at the benefits of eating your food on banana leaves.
* Rich In Antioxidants
Banana leaves contain a large amount of natural antioxidants and polyphenols. Both of these are found in plant-based foods and green teas generally. Serving your food and banana leaves is a great idea because your food will automatically absorb the antioxidants and polyphenols present in the banana leaves. These prevent a lot of lifestyle diseases and also have antibacterial properties that can kill the bad bacteria or germs that might be present in your food.
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* Eco Friendly
One of the biggest advantages of eating your food and banana leaves is that you do not have to use plastic utensils for serving food to your guests. This is a more environmentally friendly way of serving food to multiple people without using anything harmful for the environment. Also, it saves you from the unnecessary hassle of washing dishes in case you're planning to use your crockery. This is a more practical way of eating food especially when a large number of people need to be served food at the same time.
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* Hygienic
Banana leaves are extremely hygienic as opposed to what a lot of people might think about these leaves. They have a waxy texture, which is why they don't get easily attracted or stuck on these leaves. Also, it is very easy to clean these leaves even if you feel that it is dirty. You can simply just wash them under water and serve food on top of these leaves. These leaves are also a great idea for serving food in restaurants as they help maintain health and hygiene in restaurants, which is generally neglected due to a shortage of time.
* Economical
In most South Indian gatherings and festivals, you will see that food is being served and banana leaves. This is considered a very economical way of serving food to the guests without having to spend extra money on crockery and utensils. Other than having almost negligible effects on the environment, it is also called budget-friendly. You can simply arrange for banana leaves and clean them just a day before your function. Not only do these leaves. Look beautiful but they also add a traditional touch to your celebration.
* Symbol Of Hospitality
In the South Indian culture, serving food on banana leaves is also considered a symbol of hospitality and respect towards the guest. It is believed that banana leaves are a representation of purity and by serving food on these leaves, the host wants to convey that a pure meal is being served to the guest. Also, because of the significant size of the banana leaf, providing generous meals becomes a lot easier. It represents the big heart of the host.
* Chemical Free
Banana leaves are free of any kind of chemicals, which is very rare in today's life. Most of the things related to cooking these days Are made from chemicals. The general crockery that we use at our homes is made of plastic. Serving hot food on plastic crockery is very harmful to health and can lead to deadly diseases like cancer. All of this can be avoided by just replacing your plastic crockery with banana leaves. These are easily biodegradable and are beneficial for both the health of human beings and the well-being of our environment.
These are some of the major reasons why South Indians prefer eating their food on banana leaves. Now that you know of these perks we hope that you will also try to inculcate banana leaves in your life and replace plastic for the sake of our environment and ecological balance.